John and Diana are traveling around the country with a 37-foot RV and an 18-year-old cat. This is their story.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Historic Homes of Beaufort, South Carolina

We used a map of historic Beaufort as our guide in walking around the town. The guide suggested that we stay at Old Point Inn to enjoy a highbrow visit at a late Victorian home, circa 1898. This inn has the only "Eyebrow" window in town. The motto for the inn is: "Highbrow at the Eyebrow".

The Elizabeth Hart House was built fifty years before the Revolutionary War, and is one of the oldest houses in Beaufort. It was built on a tabby foundation( a type of building material made of equal parts lime,water, sand, oysters shells and ash). In 1864 the house was sold for $640.00 by the U.S. Tax Commission.

One of the most photographed homes in America is the Joseph Johnson House(aka The Castle). It was built in 1850 and occupies an entire city block. The presence of a very large live oak near the front door was equally impressive to me! This mansion is for sale, any takers?

There are about thirty historical homes in Beaufort, and we did not see all of them. And I can not certainly put up all the pictures of the ones we did see, much as I would love to. I will mention a couple of them here which we saw that have some significant historic value: the Lewis Reeve Sams house was used as a hospital by Union troops, and the Milton Mazey House, which was known as the Session House after the first meeting favoring secession was held there. I got to a point after awhile of not even caring about the history of the homes, because just seeing them in all their grandeur surrounded by large oaks and charming gardens was enough to satisfy me. The best photo I have, which shows all of that beauty is of the Verdier House, built in 1814. An outstanding feature of that home is a porch which runs across the front and down each side to connect back rooms. It is set up high off the ground and supported by arches.